The trio had been accused of aiding an organised crime syndicate by the special investigation team (SIT) probing the scam and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sharma’s arrest five years ago had caused a sensation countrywide. He spent 11 months in judicial custody before being granted bail by the Supreme Court.

An elated Sharma alleged that he was framed by the SIT at the behest of his colleagues, including a retired officer whom he had surpassed in the race for the post of Mumbai police chief.

In 2003, at the height of the probe, Sharma was moved out of the Mumbai police chief’s post after several policemen landed behind bars in connection with the scam. The Maharashtra government initiated a departmental inquiry against him on the basis of a report filed by the SIT. He was suspended a few days before he was to retire. He was arrested on December 1, 2003 on charges of abetting the activities of subordinates who were allegedly hand-in-glove with main accused Abdul Karim Telgi.

Wednesday’s ruling, by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Pune that is in the process of framing charges against the accused, is a major setback to the SIT and CBI. The CBI is expected to challenge the ruling in the high court.

WHY SHARMA IS IN MESS

• Sharma and DCP Sawant failed to act against assistant inspector Dilip Kamath of the Crime Branch (Mumbai) whom the SIT suspected of being hand-in-glove with Telgi. On one occasion, deputy inspector general Subodh Jaiswal and Karnataka additional director general Sree Kumar even caught Kamath taking a nap at Telgi’s apartment in Colaba.

• When Sharma was the police chief in Pune, he had sent assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Mohammed Mulani to Karnataka to complete the procedure for transferring Telgi from Bangalore jail to Pune. Karnataka police recorded Telgi speaking to Mulani and tipped their counterparts in Maharashtra. Far from taking any action against Mulani, SIT claims Sharma entrusted the ACP with more responsibilities in probe into the stamp scam.

SHARMA’S DEFENCE

Sharma denies these charges saying an inquiry was ordered against Kamath following the SIT’s tip-off about the Colaba incident while Mulani was taken off the stamp scam probe.

‘I’ll drag them to court’

Former Mumbai Police chief R S Sharma wants to sue senior serving and retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers for dragging his name into the fake stamp paper scam.

“I am consulting my lawyers to sue all those who conspired to ruin my reputation,” he said on Wednesday after being discharged by a special MCOCA court in Pune for lack of evidence.

Sharma alleged he was framed by the special investigation team (SIT), which he claims carried out a “motivated investigation in connivance with my jealous professional colleagues”.

“SIT blatantly indulged in falsehood while conducting the investigation into the Telgi case by alleging that I was aiding the culprit,” he said.

Though he left the police force in disgrace, he never lost hope of redeeming his reputation. “I always felt that one day I will get justice,” he says.

THE SIT ANGLE

Former DGP S S Puri, who headed the SIT, said, “Mr Sharma and other police officers have been our esteemed colleagues. During the investigation, we did whatever evidence led us to and the requirement of law demanded. We were persuaded by first-hand circumstances of the case that the accused should face a trial.”

Chronology of probe into fake stamps scam

January 1, 2003: R S Sharma takes over as chief of Mumbai Police

January 5, 2003: Khwaja Younus, a suspect, escapes from custody near Ahmednagar

January 9, 2003: SIT officials find main accused Abdul Karim Telgi relaxing at his Colaba residence though he was supposed to be in the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch.